Visible record system



March 5, 1935. E. c. GAST, JR

VISIBLE RECORD SYSTEM Filed April 23, 1934 Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITEDSTATES VISIBLE RECORD SYSTEM Edward C. Gast, Jr., Cicero, 111., assignorto Acme 1 Card System Company, Chicago,-1ll., a corporation of IllinoisApplication April23, 1934, Serial No. 721,919

4 Claims.

' provision of means whereby one or a plurality of record cards, mountedupon hangers, and disposed in spaced, overlapping relationship upon asuitable support or tray, may be displaced or offset laterally either tothe right or left with respect to the neutral or normal position of theremaining cards upon the tray or support, and .may be positivelymaintained in normal position or in displaced position in eitherdirection.

As a feature of my invention 1 provide a suit-' able frame or othersupport upon which a plurality of wire hangers may be removably mountedin spaced relation, each hanger being engageable with a record card, thecards thus mounted being disposed in spaced overlapping relationshipwith respect to each other, the hangers and cards being'laterallymovable with respect to the normal position of the remaining cards uponthe tray or frame, the hangers and cards as units being positivelymaintained in normal position or in displaced position in eitherdirection.

In visible record systems of the type referred to, it is essential thatthe record cards be in perfect alignment at all times. The improve mentof the present invention provides for three fixed positions of thecards, namely:

i 'Right offset 2Left offset 3Neutral position.

The novel locking arrangement insures perfect alignment of offset cardsas well as neutral cards.

In a preferred embodiment, the positive locking means comprises thecombination of a longitudinal ridge in the web of the frame or hangersupport with a wire hanger provided with a-plurality of struck upportions adapted to-lock with said ridge providing for the threefixedpositions Referring particularly to the drawing, indicates a frameor support which may be utilized as a tray or drawer of a recordcabinet,a leaf of a record book, or a unit of the usual swingably mounted recordor index stand. The frame or support 1 may be constructed of metal many5 other material having like characteristics and may comprise a web 2,the longitudinal opposed side edges of which may be folded as shown bestvat3in Fig.2.

A plate 4 may be mounted upon the face of 10 the web 2 preferably at thecentral portion of said web, said plate being secured to said web in anydesirable manner. The plate 4 may extend substantially the entire lengthof the frame or support 1, and the opposed longitudinal edges 15 "ofsaid plate may be folded inwardly toward each other as shown best at 5in Fig. '2 to provide opposed guide channels 6. The plate 4 may beconstructed of metal or any material having like characteristics.

A plurality of card hangers 7, each of which comprises a relativelystraight body portion 8 which may be bent at its ends in order to formreturn bends 9. The plane of the body portion 8 and the return bends 9ateach end of said body portion may be the same, and the terminations,of the return bends 9 may be offset from said plane, said terminationsbeing arcuately shaped as shown best at 10 in Fig. 3. p

A plurality of record cards 11 provided with eyelets 12 at their upperedges may be mounted upon the hangers 7, the arrangement being such thatthe eyelets at both sides of the" card 11 may be threaded upon-thearcuate ends 10 of the return bent portions 9. When the eyelets 12 havebeen threaded upon the opposite arcuate terminations of the returnbends9, it can readily be seen that with regard to lateral movement of thecard 11, the card and hangers are relatively rigid, inother words, thecard and hangers would move laterally asa unit. I

It frequently becomes desirable in the use of record devices of thisgeneral construction to temporarily identify one or more cards which mayappear upon the record tray. In making entries, for instance, it may bedesirable to copy the entries from a master sheet. If two differenttypes of entries are to be made which may affect some cards and notothers, it can readily be seenthat it would be desirable to identifythose cards which are to be entered in one man,- ner from those whichare I to be entered in another. It would also be desirable to identifyboth classes of cards from the remaining cards.

This identification may be accomplished by laterally displacing one or agroup of cards in one direction from the remaining cards, and laterallydisplacing one or a group of cards in the opposite direction from thefirst mentioned displaced card or cards and the main group of cards. Forinstance, in ledger posting, debit postings may be staggered to theleft, credit postings staggered to the right, and as proved they may beshifted back to neutral or central position. Other uses may includepurchaser records where displacement to the left may mean to order,displacement to the right may mean on order and neutral, when the stockis received.

As a feature of my invention, I provide means whereby cards and theirassociated hangers may be positively maintained in normal or displacedposition thereby preventing accidental or unintentional displacement,and permitting repeated handling of the cards for purposes of entries,references, etc., without disturbing the laterally staggeredrelationship of the cards.

To accomplish the object of my invention, I may provide a series ofcrimps'13, 14 and 15 at an intermediate portion of the length of thebody 8 of each hanger. The crimps 13, 14 and 15 may extend upwardly atan angle from the face of the plane determined by the return bentportions 9. A member 16 may be secured to the face of plate 4 or plate 4may be indented to form a raised portion preferably in its centralportion. Member 16 may be provided with an upwardly extended raisedportion 17 which, in turn, may be coextensive with the length of member16.

Wire card hangers are well known in the art and enjoy extensive use. Tomount this type of hanger upon a supporting frame such as the frame 1for instance, the hanger is flexed sufficiently to permit the oppositereturn bent portions 9 of each hanger to be inserted beneath oppositeflanges 5. The distance between the inner edges of opposite flanges isless than the length of hangers 7, but inasmuch as said hangers areconstructed of a relatively resilient material, the return bent portions9 thereof may be inserted beneath the flanges by flexing or springingthe hangers. To permit lateral displacement of the hangers from normalposition on the tray or other support, the distance between the remoteportions of opposite channels 6 is greater than the lengths of hangers 7so that said hangers may be moved longitudinallyand yet have their endsretained in the opposite channels.

It can readily be seen that when the return bent portions 9 of hangers 7are inserted in channels 6, the plane of said return bent portions isparallel to and adjacent the plane of the face of plate 4. Consequently,crimps 13, 14 and 15 extend upwardly from the face of plate 4.' Thearrangement is such, that raised portion 17 at the central portion ofplate 4 is adaptedto engage one of the crimps 13, 14 and 15 when thehangers have been positioned upon the frame, as hereinbefore described.The width of channels 6 is only slightly larger than the diameter of theWire comprising the hangers and consequently, the central portions ofthe hangers are flexed slightly by member 16 and the raised portion 17,and hence, the tendency toward accidental or unintentional displacementof said hangers when rib or bead 17 is in engagement with a crimp 13, 14or 15 is remote.

rib or bead 17, and card 22 may be displaced to the right of normalposition whereby crimp 13 of hanger 23 may engage rib or head 17. Inthis manner the cards may be shifted to the right or left of the normalor central position and in all positions, including the normal orcentral position, the hangers, and hence the associated cards, will bemaintained against accidental or unintentional displacement.

It is to be understood, of course, that although three crimps 13, 14 and15 are shown,

' indicating three different positions of cards 11,

one or more crimps may be formed upon the hangers, providing any desirednumber of separate positions upon one frame 1. Further, although bead orrib 17 is shown and described as being at substantially the center ofplate 4, it is to be understood that the bead or rib may be disposed, ifdesired, to either the right or left of the center, in which casethecrimps will be correspondingly formed upon the hangers.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the character described comprising a frame, a pluralityof wire hangers mounted upon said frame, cards carried by said hangers,said hangers and cards being laterally displaceable with respect to saidframe, means for retaining said hangers in displaced position comprisinga plurality of crimps upon each of said hangers, and means upon saidframe engageable with one of the crimps of each hanger.

2. A device of the character describedcomprising a frame, a plurality offlexible hangers mounted upon said frame, cards carried by said hangers,said hangers and cards being laterally movable upon said frame, meanscarried on said frame for normally flexing said hangers, and crimpsformed on each of said hangers'one of which is engageable with saidmeans to retain said hanger in desired position upon said frame.

3. A device of the character described comprising a frame, a pluralityof flexible hangers mounted upon said frame, cards carried by saidhangers, said hangersand cards being normally centrally positioned uponsaid frame and being laterally displaceable in either direction fromsaid central position, and means for retaining said hangers in displacedposition, comprising a rib positioned upon said frame normally flexingsaid hangers, and crimps upon said hangers for engagement with said rib.

4. A device of the character described which comprises, a frame, aplurality of flexible hangers removably mounted upon said frame, cardscarried upon said hangers, crimps formed intermediate the length of eachof said hangers, said hangers being laterally movable upon said frame, arib carried upon said frame engageable with one of the crimps on eachhanger to retain said hanger in desired lateral position upon the frame.

EDWARD C. GAST, JR.

